Thumbs up to Hampton, Masons and more

Thumbs up for the town of Hampton for donating $25,000 to the national nonprofit Fisher House Foundation Inc.

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seacoastonline.com

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Posted Apr. 25, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Apr. 25, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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Thumbs up for the town of Hampton for donating $25,000 to the national nonprofit Fisher House Foundation Inc.

Brian Gawne, Fisher House's vice president of operations, flew in from Maryland last week to accept a $25,000 donation raised by the taxpayers of Hampton through a petitioned warrant article at the March Town Meeting.

The $25,000 donation will help the foundation construct a facility next to the VA hospital in Connecticut, according to Gawne. The petitioners who proposed the donation, Richard Ballou and Vic DeMarco, wanted the funds to be used to help New England veterans, and Fisher House's guarantee to use them in this way is something they said they fully support.

Gawne said towns often donate to their charity, which among other things builds homes near military hospitals so veterans and their families have a place to stay for free during treatments. What makes Hampton's donation fairly unique, though, is that most towns' donations come through events and fund-raisers organized by local groups, not through an appropriation vetted and authorized by a municipality's tax base.

"It's something that makes us take notice," said Gawne. "This is a 'Norman Rockwell' moment. This is a 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' moment. This is what it's all about. A small town like this has its own issues in its community, but the people still think about helping the service members and their families. It's just symbolic of this nation as a whole... This is what the country's about."

Thumbs up to the Masons in Hampton for running the Bikes 4 Books program in conjunction with schools in Hampton, North Hampton, Seabrook and Hampton Falls as a way to foster a love of reading in local students.

How it works is students earn raffle tickets by reading above and beyond their course requirements, and those tickets are entered into a contest that awards a boy and girl from each school a new bicycle and helmet.

Last week, the Masons awarded two bicycles to the top readers at Lincoln Akerman School — one going to Jasper Pimentel, 9, and the other going to Ainsley Pouliot, 8.

Nola Joyce, reading specialist at Lincoln Akerman School, said Bikes 4 Books is a "key" program that helps "lock in" students as readers for life.

Principal Mark Deblois said the program is "really appreciated" at the school because Bikes 4 Books is a "superb motivator."

Thumbs up and good luck to the new Marine Mammal Rescue Team at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye. Seal pup season is arriving soon and the group is taking over what the New England Aquarium team always did locally in the past.

Beach-goers are reminded to stay away from seals. People often think gray seals and harbor seals seen on the beach are sick, but experts say the seals are almost always just resting. Keeping your distance (at least 150 feet) is vital for the seals' safety, and touching them is a violation of federal law.

If you see a seal, call the local hotline at (603) 997-9448, report its location, if it's alive or dead and details about its size, coloring and behavior.

Thumbs up to the upcoming 2014 debut of the Portsmouth farmers market taking place May 3. The return of fresh local food sold outdoors is a great sign of spring.

The opening is welcomed by many and deserves special praise because it's part of Seacoast Eat Local's SNAP/EBT program, helping to provide fresh local goods to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or food stamp) recipients can get their EBT cards swiped for the amount they want to spend at the farmers market. In exchange, they receive wooden tokens that can be used like cash to purchase vegetables, meats, dairy products, baked goods and more.

The Portsmouth market will be open at City Hall from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from May 3 to November.

The Exeter farmers market also offers SNAP/EBT purchases. It will run from 2:15 to 6 p.m. Thursdays at Swasey Parkway from May 1 to October.